Surfing Padang Padang isn’t easy. This is one of Bali’s premier breaks. But this heavy left reef is also a rite of passage for pros on the Southeast Asia circuit.
An introduction to surfing Padang Padang
We hate to break it to you, but there’s a good chance you’ll go your whole life without surfing Padang Padang. This wave is just on another level. It’s epic, pro stuff and it can be really unforgiving if you don’t read it right or don’t know what you’re doing. On the flip side, catch it and you’ll never look back. It’s a hollow, heavy tube that’s perfectly round can rival the Banzai Pipeline for quality. Talk about the ride of your life!
However, there’s another wave – the little Padang Right or Baby – that can actually mellow out enough to host beginners, especially in the small-swell wet season. On top of that, you can base yourself here to be in the midst of some of the finest surf territory in Southeast Asia, with Ulus to the south and Bingin to the north. There are some great hotels and eateries nearby, along with tight-knit Labuan Sait Beach for those lazy days.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
This guide is just one part of our complete guide to surfing in Bali
Padang Padang at a glance
The good:
- One of Bali’s best-quality waves
- Barrels like perfection
- A small right that can cater to other levels
The bad:
- Dangerous reefs
- You need to know your tides to surf it
- Locals command the best of the best waves
What’s in this guide to Padang Padang?
Where is Padang Padang?
The beach that offers entry the Padang Padang reef sits roughly midway between Dreamland and Suluban Beach. That puts it on the western side of the Bukit Peninsular, Bali’s southernmost extremity. Crucially here, the reef runs north off a high cliff, and the waves shape up in a sort of north-easterly orientation on S-SW swells. If you want to stay, you can look to the hotels on the clifftops above – there are plenty of great options on the roads running in and out of Padang Padang.
A guide to the Padang Padang surf spots
Padang Padang is the main focus here. However, it would be wrong to ignore the other quality breaks that lie to the north and south of it. They’re also on the Bukit Peninsula, get the same heavy dry-season swell, and offer other epic spots. They’re worth knowing about on those fairly common days when Padang Padang itself is being too fickle.
Bingin Beach
Bingin is a beautiful beach with a classy left hander that’s often working when the rest of the Bukit is blasted out by big dry-season swells. The spot is best at head height and gets beautifully hollow for a short section. It’s a prime intermediate wave for goofies.
We’ve got a complete guide to the surf at Bingin Beach – read it now!
Impossibles
Impossibles is a rifling reef break that’s actually an extension of the same reef platform that creates Padang Padang’s epic left (see below). However, there’s nowhere near the quality here because the wave peels way to fast to let you section through onto the shoulder. Most riders get caught up and dumped unceremoniously into the shallow bed. Sometimes it works and when it does it can look da bomb.
Padang Padang Left
This is the break that everyone talks about when there’s a strong SW dry season swell combined with a good offshore from the east. We’d even go as far as to say that it’s Bali’s premier left (sorry Ulu). It needs a low (but not too low) tide and just the right height to get going. The start is a fast drop in, sometimes right into the pit. That rips left across the front of the cliffs and lets the best riders get real deep before opening up a little as it approaches the shelf. The key is to know when to kick out. Go too far and you can get caught on the rocks. It’s happened loads of times and ain’t pretty.
Padang Padang Right
Padang Padang’s right could hardly be any more different to its twin. Mellow and cruisy, it’s a much smaller wave that peels right into the entrance of Labuan Sait Beach. The local surf schools know it as THE best place to go with improving classes, since it offers green wave riding to the right that turns slowly into whitewash mush. The cherry on top? The end of the wave drops you right into the paddle channel cast by the cliffs above.
Uluwatu/Ulus
Uluwatu would be the star left on the Bukit were it not for surfing Padang Padang. It’s a series of lefts with multiple drop ins that each offer a ride of different style, but rippable Outside Corner is the piece de resistance. It’s another expert only break and gets real big, but doesn’t barrel like PP.
Check out our complete guide to surfing in Uluwatu right now
Where to stay when surfing in Padang Padang?
There are some cracking hotels and surf camps on the high cliffs above Padang Padang. You’re basically looking for a stay that’s anywhere near Labuan Sait Beach, which is the closest paddle out point for both the left and right breaks.
Dreamsea Bali
There aren’t many hotels that can offer private access down a staircase to the reefs in front of a break like Padang Padang. But Dreamsea Bali is one of em! The rooms are built on a steep cliff right by the wave, with balconies and hammock that let you check the conditions without even leaving your suite. It’s such a cool spot.
Suarga Padang Padang
Suarga Padang Padang channels a touch of authentic Indonesian architecture and offers a gorgeous 8-shaped pool. It’s a luxury option that’s within easy walking distance of the beach that offers access to Padang Padang.
Padang-Padang Inn
The more affordable choice in the area, Padang-Padang Inn is a midrange hotel with a stunning pool and modern hotel-style rooms. The walk from the lobby to the paddle out is about 10-15 minutes. No biggie.
Step-by-step guide to planning your surfing padang padang trip right now
Step one: Book flights to the surfing padang padang…Lately, we like Omio for searching flights. It’s a nice interface and has lots of airline options. We also use Skyscanner because that sometimes offers deals that even beat going direct to the carrier!
Step two: Book your surf camp. Book Surf Camps is the numero uno online booking platform for fully-fledged surf-stay packages on the internet right now. Then there’s Booking.com. That has consistently unbeatable rates for hotels and a nifty map feature that lets you check EXACTLY how close your hotel is to a surf break.
Step three: Rent a car. If you’re surf camping then you might not need wheels. If you’re not then we’ll just say this: We’ve never been on a surf trip that wasn’t improved by having our own car. Use RentalCars – they’re the best.
Step four: Enjoy!
When to surf in Padang Padang
The Padang Padang left is such a fickle wave that you’re almost certainly going to have to play a waiting game to get there. You essentially need the swell, the tide, and the wind to all match up perfectly, and a bit of luck of the Irish on top. The best days are almost always during the dry season, which runs from April to September in Bali. That brings the best S-SW swells and the most reliable easterly winds, but there’s really no substitute for dropping by to check conditions – even the best forecasters are often wrong on this one. Oh, the Padang Padang right is a different story. That mellow beginner wave can be used all year round. No worries.
We might use affiliate links in this post. Basically, you click em’ and we get a little something from your booking or purchase. They help us keep offering more and more in-depth surf guides to awesome places all around the globe. So, thanks for that!
1 comment
A bit different to when a guide walked us into Padang Padang in 1978. I’m a low grade intermediate surfer. My companion had surfed big Pipe so he surfed 8 ft Padang alone while I shoulder hopped a couple. A Balinese climbed a tree and gave me a coconut afterwards.